To retake or not to retake

[NicholasH417]

Hello,

I took my first GMAT yesterday and got a 680 (Q47, V35), and IR 8. On a personal level, I was hoping to break the 700 mark.

I am unsure whether or not to take the test again. My highest practice CAT was 600, and the other were 580 (including one I took 2 weeks prior through GMAT PREP software). In the test center I felt more focused than usual, and I am also very good under pressure, so I expect that this was the reason why I scored higher than usual.

Either way, I am at a crossroad. If I do retake the test, and I happen to do worse, will that look bad in the eyes of a b-school admissions officer? Furthermore, what if my IR score drops a considerable amount (my IR scores weren't even nearly this high on practice CATs)? I am just not quite sure if a bump from a 680 to 700 but a decrease in IR will be worth it?

Thank you in advance for you advice! I am torn in terms of what to do.

Best,
Nick

[StaceyKoprince]

Wow! It's unusual to score that much higher than your practice CATs - nice job.

Okay, so b-schools really do just use your highest score. If you take it again and your score goes down, no problem. (You can also cancel your score at the end if you wish...but it really isn't necessary. You've got the 680 on record and that's all that matters.)

Next, I might actually recommend going for a 6 on IR next time and using that brain energy on quant and verbal instead. :)
This year, schools really aren't using IR scores yet, so having a 700 + 6 is better than a 680 + 8, since they're not paying attention to the 8 part of the equation. Are you applying this year? If so, then seriously save mental energy by skipping the hardest 2-3 IRs and save that energy for later.

If you're applying in later years, the strategy is a bit murkier - since we don't know when (if ever) the schools will begin to pay serious attention to IR. I do expect them to eventually...I just don't know when that will happen.

I think it really comes down to this: you wanted a 700 and you almost got there (a 680 is still a great score). How are you going to feel a year from now if you...

...don't re-take. Are you going to look back and regret that you didn't try it again, just to see? Or are you going to be glad that you didn't bother?

...do re-take. If you get a better score, obviously you'll be happy. If you get a worse score, will you be annoyed with yourself for spending the time and money to try again? (Again, the schools use the highest score, so this is really just about how you think you'll feel about it.)